Analog resistive technology in which electric conduction is detected in a touch position between two conductive layers (electrode layers) disposed to be opposed to each other through a dot spacer has been often used in touch panels (for example, Patent Literature 1). In recent years, capacitive touch panels in which a touch position of a fingertip is detected using a change of electrostatic capacitance have been being developed. The capacitive touch panels include a surface capacitive type and a projected capacitive type. The surface capacitive type has electrodes like a sheet. A transparent conductive film of ITO or the like has been heretofore used as a material of the electrodes. It is, however, difficult to provide a large screen in view of responsiveness due to the high resistance value of ITO. Therefore, a technique using a metal thin wire of gold, silver, copper or the like as the electrodes have been being developed (Patent Literature 2). The surface capacitive type touch panel is, for example, arranged so that the amount of analog current change in the conductive layer corresponding to the change of electrostatic capacitance between a finger and the conductive layer can be detected by electrodes in the four corners of the sheet. It is therefore difficult to detect two or more contacts (multiple touches) concurrently.
On the other hand, the projected capacitive type touch panel includes electrodes like a grid in which first electrode arrays whose array direction is a first direction and second electrode arrays whose array direction is a second direction perpendicular to the first direction are disposed perpendicularly to each other through a dielectric layer (Patent Literature 3). In this projected capacitive type, the change of electrostatic capacitance between the first electrode arrays and the second electrode arrays caused by capacitance coupling at the time of touch is detected as a change of voltage so that a coordinate point can be identified. It is therefore possible to detect multiple touch positions.